Metallic alloy.



AEGIS HUBER, S33 BERLIN} GERIEANY, ASSIGNOE TO THE FIRM or KUNirnIr r AND 00.,

F BEE-ELEV, GERll IANY.

MEEALLIC ALLOY.

No Drawing.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that l, AnoL'e HUBER, chemv citizen of the C: r cdcration of Switzerland, residing at 37 Got-rlitz =7 tl li'er, llerlin, Germany, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in Metallic Alloys, of which the following is a specification.

Metallic alloys, which give sparks when scratched with hard sul inces have hitherto been prepared by tuning togetl'icr metals of the s -ealled "rar earths, especially cerium, and heavy metals. like iron, an eX- ample of such being des ibed in U. S. Letters Patent, No. 837,017 of November 27, 1906. The applicant has discovered that spark giving alloys can also be obtained from the common earthy metals, especially alui'ninium, when the amount of them added to metals of the cerium group ot the rare earths does not exceed the Weight of the latter metals, in the case oi? alloys containing less than fillff/J, of the cerium metals the property of spontaneous ignition of the particles separated at the ordinary temperature almostentirely disappeared.

'lhough it seemed possible to obtain sparks giving alloys with aluminium, it was nevertheless found at first that the alloys containing high proportions (up to 50%) of aluminium, were :far too brittle to be suitable for practical use tor purposes of ignition, in cases where the alloys have to be employed in a coherent form, such as rods. and the, like. Alloys of this kind, when pfllllt fl into molds, break even on cooling, into a nun'xber of small portions, exhibiting a decidedly conchoidal fracture. ()n the other hand, however, the alloys containing over 2595 of aluminium, are admirably suited for use in czscs Where the powder form comes under consideration, such as in the manufacture of explosives and fireworks. l t has also been found, that the brittleness of the said alloys diminishes the content of rare earth metal increases without impairing the spar-legiving power. 'Since the metals of the rare earths are not of themselves spark-giving without special. treatment, there must eX- ist an option m condition of the alloy, in

m y "I 1st, anu engineer. a

has

which the properties of easy workability and the production of sparks appear at their application filed August Specification oi Letters Itacent.

l l l l l l l (l l l l l l l l risen-ted nay 3 ml.

1959. Serial No. 511,341.

I eatest. lhis condition 15 realized When the alun'iinium content in the alloy reaches Nevertheless, readily workable alloys 2'0- are obtained with lrom 05-25% of alumnirum; and these alloys can be conveniently castin molds without disintegrating on cooling and will furnish long and highly luminous sparks when scratched with hard substances.

The alloys described are superior to the iron alloys heroinbefore referred. to, since the sparks, in addition to their higher calorific power, are far brighter and longer, thus increasing the value of the alloy for lighting purposes. Moreover, in use, the lower specific giravit and the consequently larger volume of the alloy in relation to the rare earth metal content, reduce the loss of the rare earth metal by abrasion. Finally another considerable advantage is based on the circumstance, that the melting point. of the alloys of the rare earth metals and aluminium is much lower than that of the heavy metal. alloys such, for eX- ample, as described in said Letters Patent, a point which greatly facilitates casting and other mechanical treatment.

In place of aluminium done, a mixture of aluminium with magncsium can be introduced into the alloy, provided that in such case also, the percentage does not appreciably increase the opmum 0t or in the case of application to purposes of ignition about 12%. Finally, a portion of the aluminimum in the aluminium-magnesium-alloy can be replaced by silicon, Withoutappreciably affecting the properties of the rcs1 ilting alloy, especially the capacity for spontaneous ignition of the separated particles.

The alloys can he prepared by melting together the weighed quantities of rare earth metal and aluminium With or without the addition of magnesium or silicon, metallic silicids, silica or silicates, out of contact with air, for instance under a covering layer of sodium chlorid and potassium chlorid. The alloys, however, can also be obtained. during the recovery of the rare earth metal in a decomposing cell in the presence of an electric current. In this case, the composition of the electrolyte, consisting of com pounds (chloricls) of the rare earth metals and aluminium, and the amperage the proportion of the latter not exceeding 50%.

2. Spark-giving metallic alloys containing metals of the cerium group of the socalled rare earths, aluminium and magnesium, the proportion of the latter metals not exceeding 50%.

3; Spark-giving metallic alloys containi metals of the cerium group of the s0-.

11 called rare earths, aluminium, magneslum and sihcon, the proportlon of the latter metals not exceeding 50%.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto. set 25 my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ADOLF HUBER.

Witnesses HENRY HAsrnR, ARTHUR Scnuonnnn. 

